Monongalia County approves three‑party MOU to fund University Town Center traffic lights

The Monongalia County Commission on Jan. 22 approved a three‑party memorandum of understanding with the Town of Granville and Westridge to provide traffic lights and related improvements at the University Town Center.

The MOU memorializes responsibilities such as invoice payments and cost sharing for a projected project budget of $1,200,000. Under the agreement, each party will split costs so that no single party’s contribution will exceed $400,000, the commission was told during the meeting.

The MOU was presented and a commissioner moved to approve it “as presented.” County staff indicated lawyers for the parties worked together to resolve outstanding details before the vote. The motion passed by voice vote; a roll‑call tally was not specified in the meeting record.

Why this matters: the University Town Center is a commercial area where additional traffic controls are intended to manage growth and improve motorist and pedestrian safety. The MOU sets the local funding framework and allows design and construction work to proceed as ground conditions allow.

Details discussed at the meeting were limited to budget allocation and the cooperative intent of the three signatories. The commission noted that work has been moving forward and that engineering and coordination with the town and developer are ongoing.

Implementation notes: the MOU allocates up to $400,000 per party; specific construction schedule and contractor selection were not discussed at length and remain subject to the project’s procurement and permitting steps.